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Saturday, November 28, 2009

SyncToy 2.1 Update Speeds Up Windows File Syncing [Updates]

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SyncToy 2.1 Update Speeds Up Windows File Syncing [Updates]

Windows: Microsoft's SyncToy is a simple but effective tool for mirroring folders across hard drive locations, networks, or USB devices. With a 2.1 update, it's been retooled to run faster, back up configurations, and handle errors much better.

We've previously featured SyncToy as a handy way to sync files between computers and share an iTunes library. It also ended up ranking among our readers' five favorite syncing tools. 2.1 isn't a huge update with new features, but it does utilize a new syncing framework, and a few annoyance fixes that will win over those who dig this "toy":

Better Performance: The speed of file copy operations is significantly increased across the board.

Improved Robustness: Much more resilient to transient network and file system errors and better error reporting which pin-points which file the sync failed on in case there's a fatal error that stops the sync.

Folder pair configuration backup: Folder pair configuration is automatically backed up under %localappdata%\microsoft\synctoy\2.0. User can replace SyncToyDirPairs.bin with the backup copy to resolve last saved configuration.

There are also a few bug fixes—notable among them is a fix for NAS syncing failure. SyncToy 2.1 is a free download for Windows systems, including 7, only.

SyncToy 2.1 [Microsoft]

~david

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Make Better, Less Messy Bacon in a Waffle Iron [Clever Uses]

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Make Better, Less Messy Bacon in a Waffle Iron [Clever Uses]

We've customized the above video embed to skip right to the waffle iron goodness. Watch the whole clip, however, and Alton explains not only what kind of bacon to buy at the grocery store, but why the waffle iron wins out as a cooking platform. In a pan, the fat and meat shrink and cook at different rates, and over time leave a troublesome amount of grease in the pan that makes multiple batches challenging. The waffle iron pulls away bacon grease in its nooks and notches, and you can collect it to use in another food, or leave a thin layer of grease on for seriously home-style waffles.

Got a better bacon technique? Drop that hot science in the comments.

Good Eats - S13E8P2 - Another Man Food Show - Breakfast [YouTube via Serious Eats]

~david

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Five Best Online Backup Tools [Hive Five]

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Five Best Online Backup Tools [Hive Five]

Local backup is a useful and necessary part of securing your data against catastrophe, but with the advent of broadband and inexpensive online storage, you've got little reason to not back up critical files to the cloud as well.

Photo by jared.

Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite online backup solutions. Now we're back to share the five most popular solutions Lifehacker readers use to back up their data online and keep it secure in the event that some unforeseen event at their on-site location—fire, flood, theft, someone casts Chain Lighting in the server room—wipes out their local backup.

Note: When contenders in the Hive Five have a free option, we've listed that first, followed by the first level of paid backup they provide. For additional levels and packages click on the name of the backup service for more information.

For additional information on both both Hive Five contenders and other online backup solutions, you can check out this comprehensive comparison chart.

CrashPlan (Windows/Mac/Linux/Open Solaris, Basic [No online storage] Free, Premium [Unlimited] $4.50 per month)

CrashPlan takes an interesting approach with their backup software. You can download the software for free and use it to perform local backups on your computer and home network as well as back up data to a friend's computer if they are also running CrashPlan (so it's sort of off-site if a friend's running it). They don't offer any free introductory plans for online storage like most other online backup providers, but their rate for an unlimited personal account is on par with other providers. The software is very user friendly, and even if you're not sure if you want to commit to paying for an online backup service, it's worth a download just to automate your local backups. If your data goes kaput, you can restore it using the software or you can order a hard copy of your data.

Mozy (Windows/Mac, Basic [2GB] Free, Home Premium [Unlimited] $4.95 per month)

Mozy is an automated backup solution. Once ...

~david

(sent via mobile device)

Eat Breakfast Like an Olympian with "Super" Oatmeal [Diet]

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Eat Breakfast Like an Olympian with "Super" Oatmeal [Diet]

Although Seebohar uses a rice cooker in the video above, your stove top or microwave would work just fine for creating this energy and antioxidant packed oatmeal. The mixture is packed with enough essentials to fuel your body through workout sessions, an afternoon hike, or maybe some Black Friday power shopping (assuming it's not all done online). The ingredient list is as follows: